


Experimental Collection

by radbeetle



Category: Fallout 4, Fallout 76
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 20:18:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20413708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radbeetle/pseuds/radbeetle
Summary: this is where all the weird one-off nonsense i write goes. there is no order nor organization to these and they will rarely be connected.





	Experimental Collection

**Author's Note:**

> i put my fallout 4 character in fallout 76 for Shenanigans, timeline be damned. During a battle with the Scorchbeast Queen, i shrieked when I bumped into the Mysterious Stranger. Turns out if other people have the perk and he shows up? Everyone can see him.
> 
> anyway that inspired this.

The chaos of the battle had only just died down when Katherine hooked herself up to a nearby transmission tower. A makeshift rig of cables and connectors allowed her to boost the radio receiver in her pip-boy to unprecedented levels - and with a microphone connected, it allowed her to get in touch with the Commonwealth all the way from the wilds of Appalachia. Her power armor stood beside her, spattered with the blood and gore of countless beasts, barely holding together in places. She could barely catch her breath. What an adrenaline rush! The scorchbeasts were like nothing she had ever seen back in Boston, and the _ Queen! _ Terrifying. 

But as the monster emerged from the ground, people gathered. Katherine had her doubts about setting off a nuclear warhead - they had brought about the end of the world (or, almost did.) - but the nuclear warning siren served as a call to action. Today, she had seen more folks gathered at the fissure site than she had met during her entire time in Appalachia. Hardly a word was said by anyone, except to coordinate the attack.

And with the Queen down, there were handshakes, thanks, and a few offers to resupply each other, before most everyone went their own ways. By now, there were only a handful of people left milling around the fissure site, gathering what they could from the fallen scorched.

So Katherine sat at the base of the transmission tower alone, pip-boy hooked up, and tuned to a dedicated frequency. She muttered under her breath as she adjusted the connection, and banged a fist against the tower.

"Hey, anyone on the other end? I know I'm a bit behind schedule but man, you wouldn't believe what's happened over here."

It was a few moments before Preston's voice came crackling through - the radio tower at the Castle had proven the most reliable, the most able to handle the signal boosting. "Is everything okay? Are _ you _ okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, nothing to worry about! My power armor took a beating, though." Katherine glanced over at her suit of X-01. It was still functional, at least. "Preston - you remember the mirelurk queen we took down at the Castle?"

"I don't think I'll ever forget, as much as I'd like to." He chuckled, laughter kicking up a burst of static.

"I met a creature today that's absolutely dethroned her. A scorchbeast QUEEN! Preston, this thing was enormous. It almost ate someone _ whole _."

"Not you, I hope."

"Oh god no, I wouldn't dare get that close. Bit the queen had this guy in her mouth - and in a full suit of power armor, too! - and the only reason she dropped him was someone got a pinpoint perfect shot on her, right in the eye, and… oh my god, please tell me Nick is around, he's not gonna BELIEVE this…"

"Yeah, he's here, just a second…" Preston's voice faded as he stepped away from the mic on the other end. "Hey, has anyone seen Valentine? It's his turn on the radio…" There was a clatter on the line as the microphone was picked up - Preston came through again. "Yeah, we found him for you."

"You say that like I was lost."

"Nick! Nick, okay okay, we were fighting a scorchbeast queen today -"

"Those things have a queen?"

"Yeah, she's huge and nasty but dead now, but okay so this guy almost got eaten by her, right?"

"Sounds like a party."

"Yeah. But he's ok now, because the queen dropped him when someone shot her right in the eye - incredible shot, and I was going to be like 'how did you pull that off' and I turn around to see who did it, right? And Nick, you're not going to believe it."

"Try me."

"It's that guy you've been tracking. That mysterious stranger."

"What?!"

"Yeah, I know! I couldn't believe it! And he hung around too, for a minute or so, but then there was this snallygaster that charged me and I lost track of the guy and he just. He vanished!"

"Yeah, he's real good at that." Nick paused. "Do I want to know what a snallygaster is?"

"Maybe not, they're gross. But I have pictures, Nick!"

"Of the snallygaster?"

"No! Well, actually yes probably but that's not the point. Pictures of the stranger!"

"You're yankin' my chain."

"Am not! There was one guy who came with us and halfway through the fight he stepped back and - get this - he pulled out a camera!"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! And I asked him if he got pictures of the guy in the trenchcoat and he thinks he did. He's gonna develop them this evening, gonna give me some copies."

"Well I'll be damned. You caught one hell of a break."

"I can't wait to show you these photos. The guy with the camera says he's got some extras lying around, I'm gonna see if I can help him fix up his power armor in exchange for one. There's some stuff around here you've got to see."

"Yeah?"

"They've got a water park! I mean, it's beat to hell so none of the rides work. And down south there's this giant excavator… And the Mothman museum!"

"Sounds like an adventure, Kate. You better come back soon with those photos."

"You know I can't stay away too long."


End file.
